97301 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29406
97301
Opportunity
66 · Top 27%
vs50 · Bottom 39%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs74 · Top 10%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs42 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
50 · Bottom 13%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
51 · Bottom 4%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 21%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 29406 | 97301 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,001 | 57,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,815 | $60,422 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,996 | $26,930 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,089/sq mi | 5,093/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $229,300 | $341,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,342 | $1,278 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.8% | 42.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 16.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.4% | 20.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,004 | 1,177 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.4 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -33.8% | 67.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.5" | 40.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 82 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.9 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.79 | 19.41 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
29406
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
97301
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 29406 — North Charleston, SC · 97301 — Salem, OR · How this is calculated: methodology